How To Give Negative Feedback (And Receive It)

The Importance of Negative Feedback

Open and honest communication within an organization of any size should not just be encouraged but mandated. Although it can be difficult to give and appear even more difficult to receive negative feedback, it’s quite possibly one of the most critical functions of any leader or manager.

Constructive Criticism

A lot of people perceive a team is successful if everyone is in complete alignment and works harmoniously together. Unfortunately, this is rarely ever the case. That can diminish the team's effectiveness and productivity.

A common psychological phenomenon can result from a team that fails to collaborate. One person starts to influence the group’s decisions — groupthink!

There is a commonality between the best athletes in the world. A competitive attitude that often results in a demanding and abrasive personality type. Michael Jordan was infamous for challenging his teammates openly and directly when he felt they were not working hard enough.

Although it might seem detrimental to the team, these abrasive personalities can influence a stronger team. If you are not pushing your team to criticize each other, then you are likely missing an essential component of business growth.

It might surprise you to learn that over 50 percent of millennials expect regular and in-depth feedback. It might surprise you even more to learn that a whopping majority of 92 percent of employees find negative feedback can improve performance.

Be Sincere

As former Google and Apple executive Kim Scott suggests in her book on effective management, Radical Candor, you should always care personally when giving negative feedback. Scott recommends giving criticism privately but dishing out praise publicly.

In this visual from GetVoIP, you will learn some actionable tips to give and receive criticism more constructively. Implement these ideas into your next one on one meeting, performance review, or skip-level meeting.

Your Feedback

Over to you! What do you think of this article? Give your feedback in the comments section below.

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Drew Page

Drew hails from Annapolis, MD but adopted San Diego as his “hometown” after studying at SDSU. He loves learning, writing, and all things creative. When not working, you can find him in the ocean, in the kitchen or in a book.